Natural enemies gallery
Natural enemies are organisms that kill, decrease the reproductive potential of, or otherwise reduce the numbers of another organism. Natural enemies that limit pests are key components of integrated pest management programs. Important natural enemies of insect and mite pests include predators, parasites, and pathogens.
The UC IPM Natural Enemies Gallery includes natural enemy species commonly found on California farms and in landscapes. Additional species will be added over time.
For more information about natural enemies, purchase the Natural Enemies Handbook.
Predators | Parasites | List by order and family name | List by scientific name | List by pest
Additional resources
Narrated presentation on biological controlPredators
A predator is an organism that attacks, kills, and feeds on several to many other individuals (its prey) in its lifetime.
| Common name | Scientific name |
|---|---|
| Assassin bugs | Reduviidae family |
| Bigeyed bugs | Geocoris spp. |
| Brown lacewings | Hemerobius spp. |
| Convergent lady beetle | Hippodamia convergens |
| Damsel bugs | Nabis spp. |
| Decollate snail | Rumina decollata |
| Dustywings | Conwentzia barretti |
| Euseius tularensis | Euseius tularensis |
| Green lacewings | Chrysopa spp., Chrysoperla spp. |
| Mantids | Mantidae family |
| Mealybug destroyer | Cryptolaemus montrouzieri |
| Minute pirate bugs | Orius spp., Anthocoris spp. |
| Multicolored Asian lady beetle | Harmonia axyridis |
| Phytoseiulus persimilis | Phytoseiulus persimilis |
| Praying mantids | Mantidae family |
| Predaceous ground beetles | Carabidae family |
| Predaceous midge, aphid midge | Aphidoletes aphidimyza |
| Sevenspotted lady beetle | Coccinella septempunctata |
| Sixspotted thrips | Scolothrips sexmaculatus |
| Soldier beetles, leather-winged beetles | Cantharidae family |
| Spider mite destroyer lady beetle | Stethorus picipes |
| Spiders | Araneae order |
| Syrphid flies | Syrphidae family |
| Twicestabbed lady beetle | Chilocorus orbus |
| Vedalia beetle | Rodolia cardinalis |
| Western predatory mite | Galendromus occidentalis |
Insect parasites (parasitoids)
Larval stages of insect parasites feed on or inside of other insects, killing their hosts. Adults are free-living wasps or flies.
| Common name | Scientific name |
|---|---|
| Anaphes species | Anaphes iole, Anaphes nitens, and other Anaphes spp. |
| Aphidius species | Aphidius spp. |
| Aphytis spp., armored scale parasites | Aphytis spp. |
| Bracon cushmani, grape leaffolder parasite | Bracon cushmani |
| Citrus mealybug parasite | Leptomastix dactylopii |
| Cotesia medicaginis, alfalfa butterfly parasite | Cotesia medicaginis |
| Cottony cushion scale parasite | Cryptochaetum iceryae |
| Elm leaf beetle parasite | Erynniopsis antennata |
| Encarsia formosa, whitefly parasite | Encarsia formosa |
| Hyposoter exiguae, caterpillar parasite | Hyposoter exiguae |
| Lysiphlebus testaceipes, aphid parasite | Lysiphlebus testaceipes |
| Tachinid flies | Tachinidae family |
| Trichogramma spp., egg parasites | Trichogramma spp. |
| Trioxys pallidus, walnut aphid parasite | Trioxys pallidus |